Hanji's POV

"Oi! Zella, be nice to your brother!" I sighed in exhaustion. I knew I loved children... but twins is where I draw the line. Heck... even Levi agreed we shouldn't have more kids after the twins. But... they do take after me. Seeing how Levi reacts with the twins... I'm glad that they take over me. Now the midget needs to take care of 3 people while Iris takes after him and Eren's just in the middle.

Soon, Zander started to cry while Zella started to hit him with a pillow. "M-Mommy!"

Replacing the pillow with air, I looked down to Zella and with a stern voice, I scolded her. "Zella Aniya Zoe-Ackerman. Behave or else you don't get to eat those brownies we made earlier."

She pouts, as all kids do and sighed. "Yes Mommy..."

"You guys can go watch a movie, though. I'll make you lunch." They all cheered and went to the TV. Man, it was never-ending chattering as they argued over a movie. But it was enough for me to smile through it all. In the middle of me making sandwiches for them, the phone rings. At this point... it was too unusual for it to ring... Levi usually calls me around 3, when Iris and Eren comes home. Eren has no reason to call me... maybe it's those spam callers. Picking it up, I answered normally, "Hello?"

On the other side of the phone, I realized it was the school's phone number... Iris' school. "Is this Mrs. Zoe-Ackerman? Mother of Iris Ackerman?"

"Yes... this is her... what's going on?" My voice lowered in worry as the TV started to make happy music of their favorite movie. My hands grew wobbly as I waited for any kind of news. Was Iris sick, hurt, or something else? Nothing was good in my scenarios...

"She was involved in a fight an hour ago. But she fled the scene. Is she there with you?"

"No... no, she isn't. You're telling me she ran away?!" My voice raised with anger. My daughter was missing right now... and I can't do anything but wait. "Please... tell me you guys know where she is..."

"No ma'am. But we are going to be in contact with the police. I promise, we will find her."

"Thank you..." But I didn't mean it. No... I was terrified for Iris... my baby. Hanging up, I take a quick look at Eren's schedule... he should be at lunch by now. Knowing the school, they would contact Levi and he would leave and come home. But right now... Eren needs to hear my voice and to talk to him about Iris. So, I dialed his phone number... please answer.

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Eren's POV

"Ugh... I hate school lunches..." I say once I finished with lunch. Their spaghetti was bland and boring... tasteless. I swear, I'm not getting full with their lunches if they keep having them flavorless and plain.

Armin chuckles as he tosses his tray. "Well... it's designed to only give us enough nutrition for the day. I wouldn't blame them for following the outline of what we're supposed to be eating. Anyways... want to walk in the courtyard for the next 5 minutes before heading back to History class?"

"Sure... why not?"

So, we walked outside, and that's when my phone started to vibrate. I usually have it silent... but since it was lunch, I kept it on vibrate. Looking at the caller name... I was surprised it was Mom's name... why would she be calling me rather than texting me?

"Eren... is everything okay?" Mikasa asks as she looks over my shoulder and sees the name as well. "Why is she calling you?"

"I don't know..." Most of the time, I would've thought that I should let her think I'm in class and ignore it... but that feeling, proving me wrong, was prohibiting me from ignoring it. Walking to a secluded area, I answered the phone. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"Iris... got into a fight earlier." A fight? Seeing her before I dropped her off to school... I remember my words that I told her... dammit, was it my fault she got into a fight?! I told her to punch them... why did I keep messing things up?! "And she ran away... please, if you can, keep an eye out for her. It's been an hour already, and she knows her way home... but she didn't come home. Iris wouldn't dare to go to Levi's workplace, because it's too far... the only one she would go to is you, Eren. So please, contact me when you do find her. Promise me that."

Nodding, I promised. After all... I was her adopted older brother. Blood or not, she is still my little sister... and I promised that I would take care of her. "Of course, Mom."

"Thank you..."

*   *   *

Since Iris was still a baby and I was so intrigued with her... I constantly held her until she learned to walk. And every time I held her in my arms... I kept promising her that I would take care of her... like any normal big brother. Every time she cried, I made a funny face to make her laugh- tickling her was my last resort.

Even Dad was surprised on how much I took care of Iris... he showed me kindness, the same love that he gave to Iris... though I wasn't really his son. Asking me for permission to marry Mom? What was that all about? As a kid... kids don't know why adults do things. But knowing now... he wanted to make sure that he was okay to be a part of our family.

But soon... I realized how precious I was to my siblings. When the twins were born... I didn't feel the same love to them as I did with Iris... I couldn't make those same promises to them as I did with Iris. But I still loved them...

If they knew the truth about me... they wouldn't love me the same. They wouldn't treat me like their own blood... even though Levi and Hanji knows the truth about me... they still treated me as an equal. But why? Why would they treat me the same? I am... nothing. I was given up to the orphanage as a kid... and was only adopted by Hanji... if she didn't, I would be somewhere else. I don't deserve all this love... this faux love.

But holding my twin siblings... Zella looked more like Hanji... brown hair and brown eyes. While Zander had black hair and gray eyes. Iris... was a combo of both of them. Black hair and brown eyes... and I'm the only one with green eyes...

"Eren..." I look down to her, seeing her play with a doll, but losing interest in it quickly. "Is it true... that you might leave all of us?"

"Leave? Why?" I looked down at her, confused on why. "Iris... what makes you think I might leave?"

Soon, tears started to drip down her cheeks, "Because... I-I heard your friends... about them leaving their families... for school... and I-I don't want you to leave!" She cries to me. Mom and Dad were in their room, talking probably...

Gently putting both the twins on the side, I propped pillows around them so they wouldn't fall off the couch. And I went to Iris, holding her tightly. "Iris... I won't ever leave. And though I might... I won't ever leave. I won't forget you... and I will always be here for you. You hear me? And that's a promise."

She nods, wiping her tears before wrapping her arms around my neck. "I will always remember that, Eren... I love you!"

"I love you too..."

*   *   *

Iris... I won't let you down...

On my way back to history class, I see a familiar girl standing in the crowd. Small... black hair and brown eyes... she looked... lost. Looking for a person. "Iris?" I called out to her.

She looks up to me, smiling and she immediately ran to me. "Big bro!" Her face dug into my shirt and I felt tears staining in them. "I'm scared..."

Wrapping my arms around her, I kissed her forehead, holding her close. "I'm here, Iris... I'm here..."